Telva The whole truth about Cruelty Free: a claim with a lot of marketing

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Using the cruelty free claim in cosmetics, according to experts, is opportunistic. Because the reality is that none of the beauty products that are bought in the European Union have been tested on animals. But why is it included in the packaging of creams, serums, cleansers...? We tell you.

Marketing claims are lurking in almost every industry; food, fashion and, of course, also in cosmetics. One of the most disturbing is the famous Cruelty free stamp. Surely you have seen it on more than one occasion accompanied by an illustration of a bunny. As well; it is still an unsubstantiated marketing claim. We explain it to you:

The cruelty free trap

This is how Val Díez, doctor of pharmacy and general director of the National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics, explains it to us: "That there are cosmetic brands that have arrived later in this market, when all the work of introducing alternative toxicology methods had already been done. , who have not experienced these last 30-40 years of research into these methods and who opportunistically use the cruelty free claim is not considered ethical".

But let's start with the basics: What is toxicology? It consists of tests and safety tests (not efficacy) that are made to all the products and ingredients that we consume. Yes to everyone. From food, to a can of paint or, of course, medicines... "Because human beings need to ensure that the chemical and biological products we use do not affect reproduction, or our endocrine system, or cause cancer Toxicology is necessary in science and medicine," warns Val. "Fortunately, today, in cosmetics, toxicology is based on alternative methods, in vitro, with other tests that do not include animals." Gema Herrerías, a pharmacist, corroborates this: "In Europe, since 2013, testing on animals has been prohibited in all cosmetic products that are manufactured or sold, neither cosmetic ingredients nor finished products."

And all this is thanks to the work of an industry, cosmetics, which already in the 90s began to eradicate this practice. In fact, "in Europe, the leadership of this sector has been decisive in favoring animal welfare, and it has championed this fight from the offices, with its research and convincing scientists that there were alternative methods," Val Díez tells us. "That's why it's not ethical for that message to be used commercially, because it's something attributable to the industry as a whole."

China: there is the problem

But what about the brands that sell in China? There is controversy here: "Chinese legislation requires European cosmetics sold in this country to be tested on animals. Although today there may be exceptions: if you sell exclusively online in that country or finish the process of manufacture of the cosmetic there", explains Gema. And Val adds that "it is not the cosmetic company that does the testing, it is the Chinese authority that can decide that there are products that they want to test and choose how to do it." The good news is that, starting in 2021, China has announced some changes to its regulations on animal testing for imported products. We'll be alert.

"All the chemical and biological products we use are tested to confirm that they do not affect our health" (Val Díez, Stanpa)

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